


Death Ride

by DPPatricks



Category: Starsky & Hutch
Genre: Gen, Humor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-12
Updated: 2020-07-12
Packaged: 2021-03-05 02:33:54
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 783
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25226866
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DPPatricks/pseuds/DPPatricks
Summary: An actor/crew member’s POV of the filming of the entitled episode.
Relationships: Ken Hutchinson/David Starsky
Comments: 8
Kudos: 21





	Death Ride

**Author's Note:**

> This very short story was prompted by the Starsky&Hutch Fans&FanFiction FaceBook page’s Bonus Fiction challenge posted on 6/29/20.

“Hey, there, guys and gals! (I’m told there are some men in this fandom so I’m including you. If you’re reading this, you’re probably more fans of the Torino then the show, though, right? No problem, I’m just glad you’re all here!)

“My name’s Charles Picerni but everybody calls me Charlie. So why am I taking up space in this challenge? Because I had actual lines toward the end of the episode, that’s why. I got cast in a real role, not just as PMG’s stuntman/stunt driver. I had a part to play! That didn’t happen again for quite a while and I thought I’d take advantage of this opportunity to say a few words about my four years with Starsky & Hutch.

“If you’re watching the show in chronological order, you’ll see me again, with lines to say a few times (‘Murder At Sea’ - where I got to act with my brother; that was cool - and ‘The Heroes’ come immediately to mind), but this was my initial on-screen performance in S&H. I’d had a cameo in ‘Savage Sunday’ when I jumped out of the green Chevy as it careened down the hill, and people with freeze-frame capability can see my face before I dive into the bushes. They probably should have edited that a little better but producers at the time didn’t think the viewing audience paid much attention to such things. And they never anticipated video tape machines and DVDs with Pause features in the hands of regular people. Just goes to show how stupid they were, and how little foresight they had. 

“But I digress (I tend to do that a lot; sorry). Why am I here taking up room on this internet fiction site? That’s easy! You see, Starsky & Hutch was the best TV show I ever worked on! Why, you might ask? Was it the great scripts? Terrific directing? (NOT! Although a few of the scripts and some of the directors were better than average.) Was it lots of chances to stage fight scenes and car chases? (Maybe, those _are_ a stuntman’s bread and butter.) 

“In all honesty? I’d have to say, Nope, none of the above. It was the experience and pleasure of working with two of the best people I’ve ever known. Paul Michael Glaser and David Soul were professionals in the very best sense of the word, and they became friends of mine. Still are, as a matter of fact.

“‘Death Ride,’ was early on, though, before we got close, and all I can say is it boded really well for the friendship we developed.

“I have no idea why Joe Naar offered me the role of Thug (couldn’t I have had a name at least? Wait! Come to think of it, Ed Lasko was the writer so, no, I guess not) and I jumped at it. (As Stunt Coordinator for the series, I didn’t get all that many opportunities to stand in front of the camera. And I guess I’m a ham.) All I ever got to play were bad guys, of course, but that’s okay. A speaking part’s a speaking part! And they paid my SAG (Screen Actors’ Guild) dues, so I was happy! Besides, I looked too much like Paul and I suppose it could have been confusing. I’d have played Nick Starsky, if they’d given me the chance, but I’m older than PMG so that probably wouldn’t have worked for a younger brother. 

“I’m in my mid-80s now and Paul’s seven or eight years younger. He’s let his hair go silvery, which looks great on him! But I’m vain, so I keep mine short and dark. I don’t want any potential employers to think I’m too old to be driving their cars like a maniac. Oh, yeah, speakin’ of that, if you see the Torino fishtail around a corner, it was probably me behind the wheel. Paul didn’t have quite the lead-foot I did.

“Anyway, back to ‘Death Ride.’ I’ll never forget my first scene, with my first lines, and I still can’t believe we got ‘em past the censors. _Where’ve I been? I’ve been in the can!_ Nobody ever showed a bathroom onscreen in those days, and referring to one was just about forbidden. Especially with a crude word like ‘can’! Cracks me up just to think about it now.

“The location shoots were a grind, as always, but as I said before, PMG and David were pros, as was everyone on the crew. We brought the thing in on-time and a little under-budget, as I recall. Not easy to do in those days.

“So! Thanks for listening, and look for me in other episodes; I’ll be around.” 

END


End file.
